


It's not as it should have been, but it is what we are left with.

by mallorysendings



Category: Arya/Gendry - Fandom, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 19:00:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18923107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mallorysendings/pseuds/mallorysendings
Summary: Conversation at the end of Game of Thrones. A look at what should have been, and still could be.





	1. Chapter 1

Gendry had glanced at Arya across the gathering when they voted on their new king.

She hardly acknowledged him since they had again come back face to face since her refusal of his offer of marriage. Her sister Sansa had shared more words with him than he had received from her. 

She looked well, and his heart constricted in his chest. He now knew what it was like to be refused much like he had refused her all those years ago in the brotherhoods cave. The repercussions of the rejection had echoed into his cups night after night and he feared he was growing more like his father. Spurned by a girl and never could get over it. 

Now in the capitol all had changed. He had been given a Lords room and there were women back in the city and none had caught his eye. None but the girl he wanted. 

Standing now in a tower window he watched as the Stark siblings bid the rightful king of the Seven Kingdoms farewell to live out his disgraced life beyond the wall. It wasn’t how any of this was all to end. He knew it in his heart. 

His eyes gazed to the harbor where he was once a boy, looking up at the red keep, now he looked down on his gutter home which was left in rubble. 

Glancing back at the siblings he caught Arya’s eye and she looked up at him. Her expression unreadable. 

 

 

Bran could see them both. He smiled slightly. 

“King Robert wanted to unite the houses. Stark and Baratheon.” the three eyed raven commented in thought. 

Arya looked away from the keep and back to her brother. “The old Kings and Queens wanted to do a lot of things.” she answered dismissively. 

Bran gazed back at her slowly. “Aye, but some things were supposed to happen and some weren’t.” 

Arya moved behind him leaving Sansa on the pier as she rolled Bran back up to the castle. “Like what?” 

Bran turned his head to be heard. “Little of what happened is how it was supposed to be. It is not a better world for it. It is just what we are left with, when all has been done.” 

Arya shivered as she tried to understand her brothers cryptic words. "I thought you said everything is how it should be." 

Bran remained motionless. "It is as it could be..." he went on. “Not as it should be. Jon should be king now, and his love should have been lost differently.” He commented quietly. 

Stopping at the steps waiting for the gold cloaks to pick up the chair she turned to face him. “What are you saying?” 

Bran smiled softly. “Nothing that needs to be.” he replied as they lifted him up. “But Stark and Baratheon were supposed to unite. They still can.” 

Arya shook her head. “I don’t care about all of that. What are you saying about Jon?” 

Bran directed the gold cloaks to put him down on the landing inside the keep. A torch illuminated the walls. 

“What was supposed to happen?” Arya demanded. 

With a heavy sigh he looked up. “He never knew she was to be a mother again, she never told him.” 

Arya understood. “Daenerys was pregnant?” 

Bran nodded. “She did not believe it herself so she never told him.” he looked down sadly. “She would not have lived long enough to burn any more cities and did not need to die that way.” 

The girl shook her head. “She was going to die in child birth? As Aunt Lyana did?” 

Bran nodded once. “The child, she would have been a good ruler.” he said. “I could see that.” 

Arya looked at her brother and frowned. “Why didn’t you do something?” 

His face stone he stared a moment. “I did. I told him who he was so that they would marry and he could either claim the throne himself or as consort. I gave him options… He chose what he did as she chose her fate as well.” 

Arya bit her lip in thought. “Was she bad?” 

Bran smiled too himself as if at an amusing joke. “Are any of us good?” 

Arya shook her head unable to answer. 

“Sansa will be looking for a husband before long.” He gazed out the door way to her watching their brother board the ships. “So will the Lord of Storms End…” 

Arya watched as the gold cloaks returned and took her brother away. 

"Don't let anymore be as it could, let it be as it should." Bran said as his guards lifted him up another stair into the keep leaving Arya to contemplate her brother and kings words.


	2. Chapter 2

Gendry found himself in the only brothel in Kings landing that night. Some new establishment of the Master of Coin. It felt like home, now that he had nothing and everything. 

“Can any of my girls give you comfort my young lord?” Bronn said two arms draped over two beautiful women. 

Gendry frowned and drank from his cup again. “Already have comfort.” 

“Must be lady troubles, for I can’t imagine any other reason a bastard born son of a king would be drinking his sorrows in a cup of ale when he has been newly named Lord of Storms End with a purse to match.” he spanked both ladies off to find other clients. 

“No ‘lady.” Gendry replied. The word stung at his tongue. 

Bronn signed and took his seat. “Then maybe you are just a miserable piece of shit… though I doubt it. Dont look like the kind.” 

Gendry shook his head and drank again. 

“This stuff’s shit.” Bronn said taking the cup and tossing it. “I got something better. Right from the keeps cellar. Well, what’s left of it.” He replaced the cup in front of the lord and poured the heady wine. “Now, tell ol’ Bronn what has your sword bent.” 

Gendry looked at the man as if he wanted to curse him but something about the friendly blunt nature stopped him. 

“I’m alone.” he admitted. “There was this girl…” 

“Din’t I say it was ‘Lady trouble’?” he laughed. 

Gendry shook his head. “No, that’s the rub… She doesn’t want to be a lady.” 

Bronn frowned. “What, does she pray to the gods that she may one day grow a cock?” he laughed and poured himself another drink. 

Gendry shook his head. “No, she is…well… Not what you could imagine a lady to be like.” 

“What you speak of Sir Brienne?” he asked.   
Gendry shook his head and smiled. “No, she is unlike any other I have ever met. I don’t think I can just find another to wed and live my life now that I have known her. And that means I am alone.” 

Bronn looked at him seriously. “Have you told her this?” Something in the hard man had softened. 

Gendry nodded. “I told her that it all meant nothing without her. But she just refused.” 

“Where did she go?” he asked. 

Taking a deep drink he emptied the cup. “I hear she is taking a ship and heading west.” 

“So you mean Arya Stark.” Bronn laughed. “The girl is almost as little human as her crippled brother.” 

Gendry glared at the man. 

“I mean no offense. She is a skilled killer, and to be trained like that at the age she was ones emotions need to be suffocated and buried. Person like that does not settle down easily.” he said. 

Gendry nodded at him. “You are a hired sword, do you still have emotions?” 

Bronn nodded. “Greed, lust, hunger, sure I got those aplenty, but love… Not in a long time.” He gulped down his wine. “Only want a full belly, enough coin to throw about, and women… lots of women.” 

“That’s what I am afraid is all that is left for me now.” Gendry said thinking again of his father and his long abiding love for Lyana Stark as he finished his own cup.

Bronn nodded. “She is still here, why don’t you go bid her a fond farewell.” he offered. 

“No need.” a little voice sounded beside both the men bewildering them both. 

“Forgive me My lady, I was just-“ Bronn started but Arya was not listening. 

Gendry looked at her confused in the haze of Bronn’s strong drink. “What are you doing here?” he asked. 

Arya looked down on him. “I could ask the same of you.” she looked around at the naked women her own jealousy harnessed since he did not seem to be in any of their company. 

“The food is good here.” he commented. 

Arya shook her head. “The food is good at the keep. What are you doing here?” she asked again. 

Gendry soured. “Drinking my woes away Arya, what do you think?” 

Pushing Gendry back against the wall tipping his chair back he startled and his eyes grew wide. “I think you are acting like an idiot.” she whispered her lips so close to his. 

Feeling the tension snap inside of him he dragged her to his mouth and he drank his fill there.   
“The room will be two gold coins.” Bronn said hammering the table to get paid. 

Arya looked at him glaring. 

“Fine, it is on the house, this time.” he scooted back and moved on to other distractions. 

Gendry pushed back and broke the kiss. He was angry, but didn’t know if he wanted to focus on that at the moment. 

He led her to one of the rooms Bronn was referring to and the curtain dropped back over the door way. They could still hear other patrons in the rooms surrounding them. 

Gendry glared and paced a moment as Arya just stood and slowly unbuttoned her front. 

“What is this going to be like last time?” he asked. 

Arya shrugged. “Does it matter?” she asked. 

Gendry nodded. “Yes, it does matter.” He felt her lips against his again and he was lost again. 

He could see tears in her eyes as he made love to her. He tried to kiss them away but then fell hard and he tried to fill her. Maybe if he did she wouldn’t leave him. 

They fell asleep to the sounds of whoring and his arms were wrapped tightly around her so that she could not just disappear as she had the last time. They had to speak and he craved the chance to try to change her mind. 

Awakening Arya sighed in his arms. “I need to leave for a while.” she told him. “Im going west, as far west as I can go.”

Gendry sighed deeply. “Not before you wed me.” he told her simply. 

Arya frowned and shook her head. “I already told you, that’s not me.” 

He nodded. “I know what you think about Ladies, and Lords, but I know little of that world. I just know that I love you, and if I have any hope at happiness you will give me your hand in marriage before you leave.” 

Arya looked at him her eyes wide. “You would let me leave even if I was your wife?” 

Gendry shrugged. “Well, you were never the type I could boss around.” 

Arya shook her head. “You deserve a woman who will build a home with you, give you children.” 

He shrugged. “I haven’t been in the habit of expecting or deserving anything. As to children, I think you could still give me some.” he said simply. “After last night you could be…well…”

Arya thought for a moment. “Fine.” 

“Fine, what? You’ll be my wife?” he asked. 

She nodded. “Aye, but I go where i please, and do as I want. I want to sail west, and I will leave this afternoon.”   
He smiled widely and kissed her. “Then we best get someone to marry us before then.” 

 

Gendry and Arya said their vows before Master Sam and the King. They kept the witnesses small and made no announcements as was the brides directive and after they kept to their bed before time was to set sail. 

Gendry did not beg her to stay as he wanted to, he just prayed his seed would take root so that she would turn back around for him. 

Arya wanted to be on the open sea, and tried to imagine him with her, but he was the new Lord and would need to learn how to manage his lands. Their fates were divided and for now the fork lay ahead. She kissed him deeply and parted. 

“I will be back… Though maybe not for some time.” she said lacing her jacket. 

Gendry nodded. “If you are with child?” he asked. 

She smiled her brow quirked. “I will name it well.” 

He rolled his eyes. “I mean, will you come back if you find out you are with child?” he asked more clearly. 

She shook her head. “No. I will return when I have found what I am looking for.” 

Gendry scratched at his head. “And what is it you are looking for?” he asked. 

Sliding needle into its sheath she turned away from him. “Peace.” 

Gendry jumped up and pulled her back to face him. “If you never find it?” 

She shook her head and kissed him. “If I am gone too long you can remarry. Just… Please not Sansa.” she whispered. 

Gendry nodded. “Just please… Come back.” he whispered. 

She smiled. “I will.” she said as she kissed him again. 

 

Aboard her ship she felt full of excitement much like she had when she waited for King Robert to visit them in the north. Before everything happened. 

The men aboard were hers and she felt more like a commander than a lady. Her husband, king and sister had bid her a fond farewell and she was left to find her own future. As she had always wanted.


End file.
